https://inpraiseofangels.com/2025/10/24/how-century-happened-a-story-of-confluences/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/alger-sullivan-mill-about-30s.jpgAlger Sullivan mill about 30sPostcard showing Alger-Sullivan Sawmill Company about 19392025-10-26T16:06:11+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2023/06/28/revisiting-2015-cedar-house-garden-part-ii-midsummer/2023-06-28T18:59:11+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2023/05/24/the-garden-tour/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag17811.jpgIMAG1781https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1781.jpgIMAG1781https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1623.jpgIMAG1623This year's supply of dirt, now mostly put to work.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1605-copy.jpgIMAG1605 - CopyAnd though they are gone now, it wouldn't be right to close this out without a shot of the extraordinary field of buttercups that greeted us for several weeks this spring. Such happy flowers!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1805.jpgIMAG1805Sorry, you'll have to ask Richard what all this stuff is, but I think it's beautiful. https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1804.jpgIMAG1804...or in yellow and fuscia.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1803.jpgIMAG1803Wildflowers in whitehttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1802.jpgIMAG1802A young, aspiring sequoia with a glimpse of the neighbor's house beyond the walk.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1807.jpgIMAG1807Soon to be a field of liatris.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1801.jpgIMAG1801Hens and Chicks are flowering!2023-05-25T00:45:12+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2023/04/09/the-flow-of-god-living-water-and-all-that-missing-matter-seventh-and-final/2023-04-17T04:43:29+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2023/04/09/the-family-of-god-uncle-jesus-seventh-and-final/2023-04-17T03:47:42+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/about/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/me-at-the-wedding.jpgGeorge Thomas Wilson2023-04-16T02:30:08+00:00weekly0.6https://inpraiseofangels.com/2023/04/09/the-love-of-god-uncut-diamonds-seventh-and-final/2023-04-16T02:25:46+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2020/05/25/the-love-of-god-uncut-diamonds/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/first-cell.jpgfirst cellAre you kidding me? So this is what science proposes to have been that first living cell that somehow gathered itself together unaided, then decided to come to life? Which is harder to believe? That story, or the actions of a sentient, scientifically prescient God? From the source of this illustration: "The first cell is thought to have arisen by the enclosure of self-replicating RNA and associated molecules in a membrane composed of phospholipids. Each phospholipid molecule has two long hydrophobic tails attached to a hydrophilic head group. The hydrophobic tails are buried in the lipid bilayer; the hydrophilic heads are exposed to water on both sides of the membrane." From: The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd edition. Cooper GM. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2000.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/dinosaurs-in-noahs-ark.jpgdinosaurs in noahs arkThe Ark Encounter theme park in Williamstown, KY, where little boys can say hello to model dinosaurs said to have escaped the great flood aboard Noah's ark. John Minchillo/AP2023-04-09T04:06:19+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2020/04/11/the-flow-of-god-living-water-and-all-that-missing-matter/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/higgs-field-from-pindex.pngHiggs Field from pindex2023-04-09T03:56:39+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2020/01/17/the-family-of-god-uncle-jesus-sixth-posting/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/collage-1.jpgcollage-1From L to R and top to bottom: My Uncle Bubba (Edgar H. Baker), Mama’s youngest sibling and my favorite uncle, who was a brilliant venture capitalist with a dynamic sense of humor and huge heart; Uncle Ned Baker, Mama’s middle brother, who ran the four-generation family dairy business for decades with skill and grace; my Great-Uncle Powell Baker, the eldest of Granddaddy’s five brothers, who was appointed by the Governor as one of the original Commissioners of the Alabama Dairy Commission; my 2nd-Great Uncle George A. Hogan, a pioneering Birmingham physician who, when appointed State Prison Doctor by the Governor, was almost singlehandedly responsible for abolishing Alabama prisoner chain gangs after writing a scathing report on the practice, and who, with his five brilliant physician brothers, laid much of the groundwork for the city’s medical complex which has grown to become one of the finest in the world; my two-time 2nd-Great Uncle George M. Elliott, a gentleman farmer of Story County, IA who also served as President of the that county’s School Board for many years, “two-time” because two of his sisters, Luella and Suzanna, were married to my Great-Grandfather Henry Clay Wilson (a founding settler of the Oklahoma Territory who participated in the Great Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889); my 3rd-Great Uncle Marion Elias Hogan who was murdered in the night during a burglary of his Bibb County, AL, emporium The New York Bargain House when he was only 45; my 4th-Great Uncle Judge Washington Moody, who founded the First National Bank of Tuscaloosa, AL in 1871 and served as president until his death 8 years later; my 5th Great Uncle James Briton Bailey who was one of “The Old 300” original Texas settlers awarded land grants by Stephen F. Austin and who settled near Brazoria, TX in 1823; my 8th Great Uncle Friedrich D. E. Schleiermacher (1768-1834) who was a German philosopher and theologian whose outsized influence has labeled him “the Father of Modern Liberal Theology” and who is surely the only one of my ancestors to have his portrait on a postage stamp; my 19th-Great Uncle Richard Plantagenet (Richard II of England, 1367-1400); my 38th-Great Uncle Pepin, namesake of the Broadway Musical “Pippin”, who served for a time as king of France before his early demise, after which his brother Charles took the throne, and became Charlemagne, first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire; my 48th-Great Uncle Tiberius II Constantine, Eastern Roman Emperor from 574 to 582; and my approximate 62nd-Great Uncle Joshua Ben Joseph, more commonly known as Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man. [All this, excepting the last one, can easily be verified here: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/8130133/family (It costs nothing to visit Ancestry.com and look and I encourage you to do so).] 2023-04-09T03:40:59+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2020/02/09/all-things-new-again/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/me-mowing-the-lawn-by-johnnie.jpgme mowing the lawn by johnnieThis photo of me mowing the Fire Island back yard with our manual push mower (to reduce noise) only months before the fire and about a year before I was diagnosed with two 100% heart blockages, or the COPD, or the rest of it, yet I continued to push thinking it was only aging that was slowing me down. It's a wonder I didn't just drop dead right then! https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/dr.-singh-lenox-hill.jpgDr. Singh Lenox HillThe very week after my heart surgery, there was an ad on TV for Lenox Hill that featured Dr. Singh and his team preparing for surgery in the same high-tech room I had visited only days before. I always look for ways to illustrate my posts, and in this case, the Universe provided! 2020-02-10T19:18:45+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2019/08/04/giving-life-to-art-a-profound-event/2019-08-04T08:36:17+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/11/03/summers-bounty-june-to-september-2016/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28727029922_b82b39052a_o.jpg28727029922_b82b39052a_oOur triumphant magnolia blossom, hopefully the first of many more to come. The fencing is to keep the deer from eating it.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28028611990_f2a04c06d9_o.jpg28028611990_f2a04c06d9_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/27683451616_49fd18a42d_o.jpg27683451616_49fd18a42d_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/29950740454_f341d68818_o.jpg29950740454_f341d68818_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/richard-tree-october.jpgrichard-tree-octoberhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28190461586_9ed1a4540f_o.jpg28190461586_9ed1a4540f_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/27943660440_85f00d6334_o.jpg27943660440_85f00d6334_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/27694547133_12c89fb5f4_o.jpg27694547133_12c89fb5f4_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/27608713124_e24b612623_o.jpg27608713124_e24b612623_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28231664201_0b1146bbb7_o.jpg28231664201_0b1146bbb7_o2019-07-12T17:14:16+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/05/10/a-boys-tale-complete-part-i-the-wedding/2018-12-27T06:07:33+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2018/04/02/april-fools-day-1957/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/jefferson-avenue-postcard-30s.jpgJefferson Avenue postcard 30sOriginally named Silk-Stocking Street, a row of multi-colored "executive homes" greeted us upon our arrival. With horses and buggies, this photo preceded us by about 50 years, or so, but aside from the oak trees which had grown to completely cover the street by the time we moved there, it looks much the same.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/hauss-house-postcard-1930s.jpgHauss House postcard 1930sThis postcard from the 1930s shows the Hauss house as it looked the day we first saw it, only by then it was covered in roses and 40 years worth of azaleas.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/azaleas-from-pam-robinson-callahan.jpgAzaleas from pam robinson callahanFormosa azaleas from near Century, FL where I grew up. Seeing this photo on facebook today inspired this post. Photo: Pam Robinson Callahan2020-05-13T23:58:35+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2018/03/08/bettys-bradford-pears-twenty-years-on/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/bradford-pears-in-dallas-stacie-hernandez.pngbradford pears in dallas stacie hernandezBradford Pears blooming today (March 7, 2018) in Dallas. Photo: Stacie Renee Hernandezhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/scan0024.jpgscan0024Betty and Daddy shortly after they married and she began buying his ties, which she always insisted be Countess Mara.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/scan0095.jpgscan0095Me, Miriam, Daddy, Betty and Mary at the time of our adoption in 1990. https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/mama-in-truck-closeup.jpgMama in truck closeupOur Mama, Jane, about 1953, five years after they married. Daddy took the photo.2018-03-25T19:31:59+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/03/14/metamorphosis/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/butterflies-96-one.jpgbutterflies 96 oneOne of the great joys of Fire Island is the annual migration of the Monarchs. These two came through in ’96, when they were plentiful and you might see dozens on a single bush. Last year we didn’t even see a dozen all year. The mighty Monarchs need all the help we can give them.2018-03-14T16:58:38+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2018/02/10/ode-to-a-pew/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/dean-harrison.jpgDean HarrisonDistinguished law professor, Dean Emeritus M. Leigh Harrison (1907-1997), makes a point during Contracts Class only a few years before I wrote this poem in the very same front "pew" shown in this photo that I was astonished to find online. The ancient solid oak pews were covered in the carved graffiti of decades of use and just wide enough for two aspiring lawyers to occupy with a slant board attached to the back of the pew in front for taking notes. Photo was taken about 1970 by Pat Graves, now a retired Huntsville lawyer, who posted it on the University of Alabama Law School website on the occasion of Dean Harrison's induction into the Alabama Lawyer's Hall of Fame in 2016. 2018-02-18T15:33:53+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2018/02/01/the-family-of-god-uncle-jesus/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/scan0010.jpgscan0010Uncle Joe, Age 9, 1933https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/scan0008.jpgscan0008Aunt Peggy, age 6, 1933https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/scan0006.jpgscan0006Uncle Ned, Age 7, 1933https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/scan0011.jpgscan0011Mama, age 8, 1933https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/scan00051.jpgscan0005Mama, First Grade, 1931https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/scan0264.jpgscan0264A 1975 gathering of Baker cousins (I'm on the far left) after the dedication concert of the Edgar H. Baker Pipe Organ, given by my favorite great uncle to the McElwain Baptist Church in Birmingham.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/chart-for-blog.jpgchart for BlogI have struggled to find a way to illustrate just how VAST every family tree is but here's another go. If every blue square in this chart represents a direct forebear (i.e., actual grandparent) the chart runs off the page after only six generations, and by the 20th would use up 9620 sheets of paper laid end-to-end at the same scale! If you could actually make a chart going all the way back to the time of Christ, you would need over 82 TRILLION sheets of graph paper, probably more than exist in the world, I'm thinking. Our interrelatedness is irrefutable.2018-02-01T15:02:43+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2018/01/27/see-it-know-it-do-it/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0203.jpgIMG_0203And, what better way to close out 2017 could there be than Gloria Gaynor singing "I will Survive"? https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0032.jpgIMG_0032One of the things I love most about Richard is his irrepressible optimism, as these new beach towels he bought the week after the fire, attest.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0127.jpgIMG_0127By the end of the summer, it had all grown in pretty well. Just in time for me to remove it all!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0104.jpgIMG_0104Except for the red verbena, these are all recovering plants, including the pink petunia which was an angel gift that grew from seed out of the day lily roots from our garden.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0090.jpgIMG_0090Recovering hostas and sedum, with verbena and coleus for color.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0086.jpgIMG_0086This may just be a lowly coleus, but I marvel at the astonishing artistry contained within its DNA.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0088.jpgIMG_0088By late June, portulaca and verbena were about the only flowers still available to add a touch of color.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0085.jpgIMG_0085Looking back the other way. I ordered a replacement sun float as soon as we had a new pool to put it in to keep at least a hint of continuity in our lives.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0081.jpgIMG_0081Early summer, a couple of weeks after setting out the plants.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/img_0156.jpgIMG_0156The deck, as we found it on 6/24/18, and as we left it on 10/9, but it didn't stay this way for long.2018-02-01T07:06:19+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2017/08/29/a-burning-of-stories-part-i/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/gay-monopoly.jpggay monopolyA photo found online since all of ours were burned. https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/naomi-and-bear.jpgNaomi and bearNaomi, daughter of our friend Amy Zimmerman, and J.W. Bear in the early days. Naomi just turned 21.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/img_4154.jpgIMG_4154J.W. Bear in his accustomed chair, facing the ocean.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/cast-iron-mermaid-from-tom.jpgcast iron mermaid from Tomhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/28154357221_ebda6380c2_o1.jpg28154357221_ebda6380c2_oThree of the original four plants, en banc along the front of the house, taken last year.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/28028667640_6b133cabb9_o1.jpg28028667640_6b133cabb9_oClose-up of a few of the blooms on our Homeless Hydrangeas. Note the tiny purple centers!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/28028667640_6b133cabb9_o.jpg28028667640_6b133cabb9_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/day-before-the-fire.jpgday before the fireI actually posted this photo on Facebook the day before the fire. Not quite the same angle, but you can see additions on the second floor and a vastly expanded roof deck. https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/house-when-we-bought-it.jpghouse when we bought itCedar House the first day we looked it over. Note that both the near and far sides had been built out in the intervening years, though there were still only the five tiny clerestory windows to light the expanded living room.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/what-it-looked-like-in-the-beginning.jpgWhat it looked like in the beginningThe original Cedar House, c. 19742017-09-04T02:04:07+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/11/05/recipe-cedar-house-banana-bread/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/imag1206.jpgIMAG1206After cooling for 20 or 30 minutes on one side, I generally turn the loaves over so they don't get lopsided as they cool.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/imag1217.jpgIMAG12172017-04-10T01:32:30+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2017/04/06/mamas-butterscotch-pie/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/mama-in-decatur-newcomers-club-1969.jpgMama in Decatur Newcomer's Club 1969Decatur Daily photo of Mama Serving the Decatur, AL, Newcomer's Club in 1968.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/mamas-butterscotch-pie.jpgMamas Butterscotch PieJane Wilson's Butterscotch Pie2017-04-07T09:56:46+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/11/17/tbtgts2-george-bud-falkenberry-born-to-act/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/louise-lasser-as-mary-hartmann-mary-hartmann-from-nyt.jpglouise-lasser-as-mary-hartmann-mary-hartmann-from-nytLouise Lasser by Al Hirschfeldhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_0766.jpgimg_0766Vivien Leigh where she now hangs over a historic, haunted fireplace. I'm sure George is pleased!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/george-falkenberry-quilt.jpggeorge-falkenberry-quiltGeorge's panel from the AIDS Quilt contributed by Harry Endicott and showing his tulips by the lake where his ashes were scattered.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/george-falkenberry-abt-19761.jpggeorge-falkenberry-abt-1976George out and about in the late 70s. I found this photo online and am not sure whom to credit.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/27361188353_d454266d69_o1.jpg27361188353_d454266d69_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/27974780095_f932999805_o1.jpg27974780095_f932999805_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/george-on-stage-two-rehearsing.jpggeorge-on-stage-two-rehearsinghttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/george-falkenberry.jpggeorge-falkenberryGeorge on stage with Wren Rolinson, who also moved to New York with him, smoothing the way for me.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/george-acting-three.jpggeorge-acting-threeGeorge in character during the Birmingham-Southern years.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/bud-about-11.jpgbud-about-11George about eleven2017-03-17T18:10:14+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2017/03/09/a-word-if-you-will-about-my-gone-too-soon-profiles/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/mp-8.jpgMP 8Mark Porterhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/mark-simpson-wheatpasting-19951.jpgMark Simpson wheatpasting 1995Mark Simpson, prime mover of Gran Fury, the artist cooperative arm of ACT UP, wheat-pasting iconic "Four Questions" posters of his own devising in 1995.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/jerry-sarnat-normal.jpgjerry sarnat normalJerry Sarnat, whose company, I.M.A.G.E. Inc moved Time, Inc. magazine production into the digital age.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/jim-mcmahon-and-rob-goldfarb-holidays-88-or-89.jpgjim mcmahon and rob goldfarb holidays 88 or 89Jim McMahon and his shar pei from a late 80s holiday card.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/steve-metzinger-at-party-95.jpgsteve metzinger at party 95The brilliantly talented Steve Metzinger on his last outing at a Fire Island Pines drag party in 1995.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/barbara-walters.jpgBarbara WaltersBarbara Walters by J.W. Canty. https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/scan0442.jpgscan0442Jerry Sarnat in the pool, 1994https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ala-homecoming-1976-univerrsity-club1.jpgAla Homecoming 1976 Univerrsity ClubMy law school classmate Joel Odom was another consummate politician.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/sylvester-jones-from-shades-valley-high-website.jpgSylvester jones from shades valley high websiteSylvester Jones senior portrait from Shades Valley High School in Birmingham 1972https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/alan-barrows-mark-simpson-and-dean-sevard-at-civilian-warfare-construction.jpgAlan Barrows Mark Simpson and Dean Sevard at Civilian Warfare constructionGallery co-founder Dean Savard (right) and the artist Mark Simpson outside Civilian Warfare Gallery during its construction about 19832018-01-22T21:20:53+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2017/02/21/the-love-of-god-diamonds-in-the-rough-fourth-annual-posting/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/diamond-made-from-a-person.jpgdiamond-made-from-a-personLife imitates art? I found this photo on a European site promoting the conversion of human ashes into diamonds through a patented pressurization process. Who knew? (royalty-free photo)2017-02-21T04:34:20+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2017/02/13/the-flow-of-god-fourth-annual-posting/2017-02-20T22:40:04+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2017/01/29/uncle-jesus-yours-mine-and-everyones-literally/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/scan0265.jpgscan0265The oh, so normal Wilson family about the time of this tale.2017-02-20T22:37:28+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/12/03/tbtgts3-peter-frazer-md-a-life-redeemed/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/31467318424_f2d8d2dfb5_o.jpg31467318424_f2d8d2dfb5_oPeter Frazer at Grand Army Plaza in the summer of 1978, only a few months after we met. Photo courtesy Leath Nunn.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/30537807983_06df799453_o.jpg30537807983_06df799453_oThe two-family house where Peter lived as a toddler at 9 Ash Lane, Ambrosden, Bicester, Oxfordshire.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/30975697560_011beccb72_o.jpg30975697560_011beccb72_o16 West 69th Street. My living room was just behind the two windows on the left side of the top floor. Peter's room was in the back. It's good to see the stoop still in place.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/peter-frazer-clc-19851.jpgpeter-frazer-clc-1985Yearbook shot of Peter Frazer in 1985 as an undergraduate studying Natural Sciences at Fordham University. It took me six months to find a photo of him for this profile, and my sincere thanks to the Fordham University library for their help.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/peter-frazer-clc-1985.jpgpeter-frazer-clc-19852017-01-17T01:08:52+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/11/26/dollyofanothercolor/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/30438688463_6bb766bd43_o.jpg30438688463_6bb766bd43_o2016-11-26T20:15:08+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/11/24/recipe-green-bean-casserole-made-fresh-no-cans/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28086844330_7755b8d645_o2.jpg28086844330_7755b8d645_oGreen Bean Casserole made with all fresh ingredients for the 21st Century.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28086844330_7755b8d645_o1.jpg28086844330_7755b8d645_o1https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28086824290_74d45dffcb_o.jpg28086824290_74d45dffcb_oFinished Green Bean Casserole a la George2016-11-24T11:02:25+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/11/19/an-open-letter-to-the-president-elect/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/30745749660_5fb5b19196_o.jpg30745749660_5fb5b19196_oSunrise or sunset? Fire Island Pines, NY 2016-11-19T18:38:00+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/11/05/consider-the-lilies-2016/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/fixed1.jpgfixedhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28806218606_a789512879_o1.jpg28806218606_a789512879_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28830341005_28a6a9db47_o.jpg28830341005_28a6a9db47_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28732778482_c87808e44d_o.jpg28732778482_c87808e44d_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28231587071_76bc2a7694_o.jpg28231587071_76bc2a7694_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28754167451_98f5314840_o.jpg28754167451_98f5314840_o"Not even Solomon, in all his glory, was arrayed like one of these." Jesus, Matthew 6:29https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28220094334_34c9b7e4da_o-2.jpg28220094334_34c9b7e4da_o-2https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28206203912_b87269461a_o.jpg28206203912_b87269461a_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/28146795152_d9224d9e07_o.jpg28146795152_d9224d9e07_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/27616746244_01cfe49dde_o-2.jpg27616746244_01cfe49dde_o-22016-11-05T04:00:43+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/09/22/plain-and-simple-hillary-by-allen-bird/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/the-birds-with-all-boys-and-leanne-sams-wife.jpgthe-birds-with-all-boys-and-leanne-sams-wifeEd and Mabel Bird and their three sons, Eddie, Allen and Sam (with Sam's wife, LeAnne) back in the days when we were all great friends.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/allen-bird-playing-football-in-century1.jpgallen-bird-playing-football-in-centuryTBT: Allen Bird in about 1960 posing for the yearbook on the Century High School football field. Hopefully he'll forgive me for dredging this up!2016-09-23T16:50:50+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/07/14/for-bastille-day-vichyssoise-redux/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/imag1159.jpgIMAG1159Vichyssoise, cold, tasty and ready to serve with fresh chopped chives on top.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/daniel-meyer-book-cover.jpgDaniel Meyer book coverCover of Volume I of Daniel's treatise on the Versailles furnishings of the 17th and 18th Centuries2016-07-14T19:49:47+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/06/05/the-elusive-magic-cobbler/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27433837956_b59ab7464e_o.jpg27433837956_b59ab7464e_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27433819336_c4858e0595_o.jpg27433819336_c4858e0595_o2016-06-05T12:47:06+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/06/03/first-flowering-2016/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/26617449434_6b04687c83_o.jpg26617449434_6b04687c83_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27189994836_40f3a5ea59_o.jpg27189994836_40f3a5ea59_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27155245941_66dd385496_o.jpg27155245941_66dd385496_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/26617659943_e5c327fea5_o.jpg26617659943_e5c327fea5_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27127452742_97a854ccd1_o.jpg27127452742_97a854ccd1_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27126311462_1c5f9e7d7d_o.jpg27126311462_1c5f9e7d7d_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27126271332_f27936d8eb_o.jpg27126271332_f27936d8eb_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27223212275_bb2eef3583_o.jpg27223212275_bb2eef3583_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/26947992870_73c0d6fe41_o.jpg26947992870_73c0d6fe41_ohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/photo-may-21-11-54-26-am.jpgPhoto May 21, 11 54 26 AM2016-06-03T15:10:00+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/04/16/tbtgts1-randall-robbins-actor-teacher-leader-friend/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-robbins-first-starring-role.jpgrandy robbins first starring roleRandy (the tall one) gets his first taste of applause as the star of his Junior Class Play, "Father Knows Best"https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randall-robbins-as-fdr-in-annie.jpgRandall Robbins as FDR in AnnieRandall Robbins as FDR and Theda Stemler as Annie in a scene from the 2nd National Tour of "Annie.".https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-as-secretary-of-honor-society.jpgrandy as secretary of honor societySecretary of the Honor Society in a school of 3000 students is an accomplishment. Bright, motivated, talented.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-again-2.jpgrandy again (2)Junior Class Portrait of Randall Robbins, 1939-1981https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-in-the-10th-grade.jpgrandy in the 10th gradeYearbook photo of Randy as Sophomore Class Treasurer (second year running!)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-freshman.jpgrandy freshmanThe earliest photo I could find of Randy who was featured as treasurer of his freshman class of Seminole High in Sanford, FLhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-robbins-in-tenth-grade.jpgrandy robbins in tenth gradehttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/photo3.jpgphoto(3)Carolyn Kirsch and Randall Robbins showing off their new pinatas backstage at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA where the First National Tour of "Company" had opened in May of 1971. https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-robbinsin-ordinary-people1.jpgrandy robbinsin ordinary peopleRandall Robbins with Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland in "Ordinary People," released in 1980, his first crossover from Broadway to Hollywood. It should not have been his last.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/randy-robbinsin-ordinary-people.jpgrandy robbinsin ordinary peopleRandall Robbins with Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland in "Ordinary People" 19802022-09-15T18:09:46+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/04/08/diamonds-in-the-rough-third-annual-posting/2016-04-08T20:30:45+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/03/12/the-flow-of-god-third-annual-posting/2016-03-13T19:26:16+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/12/11/common-courtesy-political-correctness-and-the-golden-rule/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/railway-line-1053687.jpgrailway-line-1053687https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/railroad.jpgrailroad2016-01-19T07:04:47+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/01/17/uncle-jesus-doing-the-math-3d-annual-posting/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/christmas-card-1957.jpgchristmas card 1957Christmas Card photo from those early years with my sister, Mimi, and me.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/imag2333.jpgIMAG2333Screenshot from Ancestry.com showing my 31st great-grandmotherhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/imag1518.jpgIMAG1518At some point in the last 40 years, the US Forest Service decided to leave the sawmill, but erase the mill town of Grayson, AL that surrounded it, the place where we lived from my birth to age seven. Now, all that is left of the simple but stately white house we lived in (and where this story took place), is this ivy-draped hole in the ground where our basement used to be. I had to clamber deep into the prickly underbrush just to find this. No doubt, the removal of Grayson from the center of a National Forest was an environmentally sound decision, but it is nevertheless, very sad to me.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/imag1515.jpgThe Church of the ForestTwo years ago, Richard and I made a pilgrimage of sorts to see the church my parents built in the Bankhead National Forest. The town may be gone, but the church remains.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/jesus-fan.jpgjesus fanJesus fan on a stick. When I was a child, every country church in the south had a supply of these scattered among the pews, a necessity when summer Sunday sermons ran long. 2016-01-18T21:45:32+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2016/01/01/frazzle-dazzle/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/gelsey-and-barishnikov-333x469.jpggelsey and barishnikov (333x469)This famous version of The Nutcracker starring Gelsey and Baryshnikov was filmed five years before we met and seven years before our ill-fated association. It remains, to my mind, the most beautiful version of the Christmas classic ever recorded.2016-01-02T13:58:07+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/09/02/remembering-mama-and-margaret-sandlins-cherry-dessert/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2033.jpgIMAG2033Margaret Sandlin's Cherry Desserthttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/mama-in-decatur-newcomers-club-1969.jpgMama in Decatur Newcomer's Club 1969From the Decatur Daily, sometime in 1967. Mama grew the flowers in the yard, and just for the record, they may be melon balls on the plate, but they didn't come from the bowl of frosted grapes (a Jane Wilson specialty) sitting nearby. 2015-12-31T19:04:06+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/12/09/our-common-home-what-the-pope-said/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/earth-rise-two.jpgearth rise two2015-12-09T17:08:26+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/11/28/act-three-the-garden-tour-at-waning-time/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag1843.jpgIMAG1843https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag2275-2.jpgIMAG2275 (2)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag22651.jpgIMAG2265https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag22621.jpgIMAG2262https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag22601.jpgIMAG2260https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag22641.jpgIMAG2264https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag2262.jpgIMAG2262https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag2260.jpgIMAG2260https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag2265.jpgIMAG2265https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/imag2255.jpgIMAG22552015-11-29T13:11:45+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/10/31/gods-kaleidoscope-garden-tour-midsummer/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/the-last-labor-day-day-lily-of-2015.jpgThe last Labor Day day lily of 2015Long after all the other day lilies were done and gone, this one, last one appeared, bright as a new penny, on Labor Day. It was as if it was saying, "Thanks for the memories and a great, beautiful summer!"https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag2174.jpgIMAG2174https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag2008.jpgIMAG2008https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag2066.jpgIMAG2066https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag1915.jpgIMAG1915https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag1872.jpgIMAG1872https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag1875.jpgIMAG1875https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag1878.jpgIMAG1878https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag1852.jpgIMAG1852https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/imag1916.jpgIMAG19162015-10-31T16:31:54+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/09/04/day-lilies/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag1864.jpgIMAG186443) Roll, Tide, Roll! https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2039.jpgIMAG203943)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2037.jpgIMAG203742)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2036.jpgIMAG203641)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2034.jpgIMAG203440)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2023.jpgIMAG202339)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2021.jpgIMAG202138)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2019.jpgIMAG201937)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag2000.jpgIMAG200036)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/imag1996.jpgIMAG199635)2017-09-04T22:44:57+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/07/26/happy-grandparents-day/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/papa-and-martha-in-dungeness-2.jpgPapa and Martha in Dungeness (2)"Papa" Wilson and Martha, his second wife, before their garden in Dungeness, WA, 1962, where they maintained a completely self-sufficient lifestyle (except coffee, tobacco, flour and sugar) for over a decade using goats for milk, cheese, even ice cream, as well as both egg-laying and frying chickens. Papa hated paying taxes, and moved to Washington after Colorado where he had moved with Martha onto a similar farm after retirement from the Forest Service precisely because there was no state income tax, enacted one.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/papa-and-martha-in-dungeness1.jpgPapa and Martha in Dungeness"Papa" Wilson and Martha, his second wife, before their garden in Dungeness, WA, 1962, where they maintained a completely self-sufficient lifestyle (except coffee, tobacco, flour and sugar) for over a decade using goats for milk, cheese, even ice cream, as well as both egg-laying and frying chickens. Papa hated paying taxes, and moved to Washington after Colorado where he had moved with Martha onto a similar farm after retirement from the Forest Service precisely because there was no state income tax, enacted one.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/scan0262.jpgscan0262All the George and Miriam Baker family first Cousins gather on Aunt Mary Belle's front porch for Easter of 1968, little realizing that we were also cousins of the very Jesus we were heading to church to worship.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/scan0081.jpgscan0081Grandmama with her daughters, Peggy on the left and Mama on the right, posing for a fashion feature in the Birmingham News about 1946.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/scan0076.jpgscan0076Grandmama, Grandaddy and me, 1950, in front of their house at 4425 Montevallo Road. The house was razed about 30 years ago to make way for a strip mall. After Uncle Bubba's funeral, we ate in a Chinese restaurant in the exact same spot where my grandmother's kitchen used to be.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/family-with-grandparents-easter-61.jpgFamily with grandparents easter 61Grandmama and Granddaddy come for a visit, Easter Sunday 1963. That's Mama in the middle, of course, with Miriam, new sister Mary Baker, and me.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/scan0229.jpgscan0229Addie Belle Mick Wilson, who was 50 when she died from a fall, toward the end of her life.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/papa-wilson-with-family-1920-2.jpgPapa Wilson with family 1920 (2)Thomas and Addie Belle Wilson in 1920 with their three remaining children: Virginia on Papa's lap, Bettie with the big bow, and YES, that's Papa Hank himself on his mother's knee!2015-07-26T20:36:32+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/07/17/recipe-cheese-grits-souffle/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/20150620_214648.jpgCheese Grits SouffléSoufflé ready for presentation. For a soufflé this height, I filled the dish to about one-and-a-half inches below the rim. You can also tie parchment paper around the outside of your dish if you want to make a taller one, then remove the paper before serving.2015-07-17T16:31:25+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/07/06/sandy-soil/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imag1710.jpgIMAG17102015-07-06T17:20:36+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/05/10/recipe-salmon-ceviche/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/salmon-ceviche1.jpgsalmon cevicheSalmon Ceviche on a bed of greens is a great way to use up left-over fish and make the most of summer's bounty of fresh, tasty vegetables!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/salmon-ceviche.jpgsalmon cevicheSalmon Ceviche on a bed of greens is a great way to use up left-over fish and make the most of summer's bounty of fresh, tasty vegetables!2015-05-10T22:28:24+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/04/25/a-boys-tale-chapter-11/2015-04-26T05:39:48+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/01/31/a-boys-tale-introduction-and-chapter-1/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/a-boys-tale-cover-01.jpgA Boys Tale cover-0Photo is of the house reputed to be both the home of John Mark and his parents, as well as the site of the "Upper Room" and last supper between Christ and His apostles.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/a-boys-tale-cover-0.jpgA Boys Tale cover-02015-04-25T18:02:34+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/04/11/a-boys-tale-chapter-10/2015-04-11T21:39:35+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/03/28/a-boys-tale-chapter-9/2015-03-28T16:38:32+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/03/23/science-increasingly-makes-the-case-for-god/2015-03-23T10:06:33+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/03/22/a-boys-tale-chapter-8/2015-03-22T22:02:25+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/03/15/a-boys-tale-chapter-7/2015-03-15T23:08:26+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/03/07/a-boys-tale-chapter-6/2015-03-07T06:14:05+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/03/03/iii-uncut-diamonds/2015-03-03T03:39:41+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/02/28/a-boys-tale-chapter-5/2015-02-28T18:07:08+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/02/21/a-boys-tale-chapter-4/2015-02-21T07:45:41+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/02/18/ii-the-living-water-boson/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/galaxy.jpgGalaxyImage of the galaxy M101 from NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, and NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer Photo: NASAhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/higgs-field-two.pngHiggs field twoArtist's rendering of the Higgs Field.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/aaprint_net2-jpg.jpgaaprint_net(2)-jpghttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/cropped-verision10-2.jpgFeatured Image -- 5562015-02-18T19:15:31+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/02/14/a-boys-tale-chapter-3/2015-02-14T05:53:21+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/02/09/i-uncle-jesus/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/church-in-the-forest-from-space.jpgchurch in the forest from spaceUnfortunately, Street View hasn't made it to the heart of the forest, but this is a current view from space of the Church in the Forest as it still stands today.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/david-young-photo-bankhead-collier-creek.jpgA view of Collier Creek near our house in Grayson, AL, in the Bankhead National Forest, Alabama (Photo by David Young: davidyoungphotograph.net2015-02-09T20:45:44+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/02/09/uncle-jesus/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/david-young-photo-bankhead-collier-creek.jpgdavid young photo bankhead collier creekA view of Collier Creek near our house in Grayson, AL, in the Bankhead National Forest, Alabama (Photo by David Young: davidyoungphotograph.net2015-02-09T20:23:22+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/02/07/a-boys-tale-chapter-2/2015-02-10T19:01:53+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/02/05/recipe-allen-geeseys-sausage-and-leek-soup/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/imag1486.jpgIMAG1486https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/imag1487.jpgIMAG1487Nothing beats a hot creamy soup on a cold winter's day, seen here with University Club dinner rolls taken from the cookbook of Ailene van Dozer, who ran the University Club dining room in Tuscaloosa for many years.2015-02-05T20:04:52+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/01/29/why-in-praise-of-angels/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/printing-press-photo-nick-beland.jpgprinting press photo nick belandThis is the same model printing press as the one I longed for. Photo: Nick Beland xoverit.blogspot.com2015-02-24T16:40:22+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2015/01/09/poem-for-the-new-year-illusions/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/0124-1010-1812-2815_distant_solar_system_artists_drawing_o.jpg0124-1010-1812-2815_distant_solar_system_artists_drawing_odistand solar system artists drawing. Image: NASA2015-01-09T10:30:17+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/11/22/recipe-mr-clancys-baked-onions-a-family-tradition/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/imag1435.jpgIMAG1435Onions plus half-a-cup of water, vinegar, butter and sugar. Couldn't be much easier!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/imag1440.jpgIMAG1440Steamy, succulent Baked Onions looking tasty in a Tunisian Tajine Mary B. gave us for Christmas a few years back. 2014-11-22T11:24:17+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/11/11/recipe-vichyssoise/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/imag1159.jpgIMAG1159The chopped chives are more than a garnish, and add just the right amount of contrasting flavor to the subtle soup.2017-05-21T17:43:46+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/11/09/berlin-lights/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/berlin-wall-fragments-for-sale-by-ken-schwarz.jpgBerlin wall fragments for sale by ken SchwarzIt was only conjecture, when I wrote this poem, that others might put little pieces of the wall on plaques. Photo by Ken Schwarz via Flickr2014-11-09T04:52:54+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/11/02/the-dragonfly/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cordova-marker-two.jpgCity Of Cordova Marker (Side A)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/church-street-house.jpgchurch street houseThe Fort Valley house where Mama died, seen and bought in a single afternoon on the day she discovered just how sick she was.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/scan0001-4.jpgscan0001 (4)Photo of the Jasper house under construction on Quarry Hill Road in 1969https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/daddy-announcement.jpgdaddy announcementMaybe someday I'll find a better copy of this announcement that appeared in the Decatur Daily of Daddy's appointment as President of Birmingham Forest Products in 1969.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/001.jpgMama's Fiftieth Birthdaywas celebrated in that little Elba Apartment with big bowls of ice cream. This is the last known photograph of her, taken only five months before she died, though, I have to say, she looked great for 50!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/imag1030.jpgIMAG10302020-06-14T04:32:52+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/07/31/recipe-sweet-potatomandarin-orange-casserole-for-mary-hurt/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/mary-hurt-4.jpgMary Hurt Mary was a magnificent musician, also a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College who moved to the Big Apple to pursue her dreams, and blazed quite a trail for herself in the doing. Here she is adding life to my 50th birthday party. She was also a great jazz bassist, very successful composer of radio jingles, and the best player of both the spoons and the saw that it has been my privilege to hear.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/photo.jpgSweet Potato/Mandarin Orange Casserole2014-07-31T16:19:13+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/07/10/beauty-goodness-and-a-recipe-georges-key-lime-pie/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/imag1051.jpgGeorge's Key Lime PieYummy!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/imag1040.jpgFourth of July BarbecueWell, they don't get more traditional than this: hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans and key lime pie. Hope you're was as good!https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/imag1034.jpgLily"Not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these." - Jesus, Matthew 6:29https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/imag1063.jpgFloral Tableau IIIIn a shady corner of the pool deck where coleus and begonias thrive. Tuberous begonias are just showing pink buds underneath their leaves.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/imag1059.jpgFloral Tableau IIAnother grouping of frustrated lilies finally able to strut their stuff.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/imag1058.jpgFloral Tableau ILast year, thanks to damage from Superstorm Sandy, the deer had access to the decks, and managed to nip all the lilies in the bud before we ever made it out to the beach, so the're really raring to go this year, as you can see. This grouping sits just to the right inside the door to the front deck.2014-07-22T23:53:20+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/07/22/recipe-1234-bundt-cake-with-easy-caramel-or-fruit-glaze-icing/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img00033-20121006-1940.jpgCaramel Bundt Cake2014-07-22T18:15:16+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/07/19/reflections-in-three-acts-and-an-encore/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/16-west-69th-street.jpg16 West 69th StreetMy first Manhattan apartment was on the top floor, the first two windows from the left. It was a great place to find my NYC legs and the location of many fond memories.2014-07-19T18:05:35+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/07/04/angels-in-action-the-fire-tower/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/sipsey-park.jpgsipsey parkJust one of thousands of great photos of the Bankhead Forest that you can find on line. A truly special part of the world. (Photo: Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area)https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/fire-tower.jpgFire towerThe fire tower that was up the road. (Undated Postcard (looks 50s to me) from the Ron Kemnow Collection)2014-07-05T15:09:26+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/04/16/angels-in-action/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/brushy-crek.jpgBrushy CreekBrushy Creek, in North Alabama, is a truly magical setting, when it's not a raging torent. (photo: Judy Ranelli)2014-07-04T20:06:59+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/06/29/recipe-fresh-strawberry-charlotte/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/imag1019.jpgFresh Strawberry CharlotteHere served in individual goblets, this may also be served in the manner of a Charlotte Russe in a "trifle bowl" lined with ladyfingers, 2014-06-29T22:50:22+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/06/21/angel-gifts/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/imag0992.jpgNatural Beach GardenThese are the hardy plants that survived the salt water and still share their beauty with us at every turn.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/back-corner.jpgBack garden before the floodThe back garden before the flood... it will come back! https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/aerial.jpgBird's Eye View of Fire Island PinesThis is our little town of Fire Island Pines with the harbor in the center, the Atlantic on the left and the Great South Bay on the right. No streets, no cars, only birds, the ocean and the occasional beat of a distant bass line to break the silence.https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/tannenheim.jpgSeven Year ItchFor seven long year this magnificent homeplace called Tannenheim was in our sights as a place apart, a potential retreat, art and conference center, but it was not to be.2014-06-22T03:27:14+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/05/08/sublime-deceit/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/sublime-deceit.jpgSublime Deceit2014-05-08T20:45:29+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/05/01/pope-notes-2-7-april-21-29-2014/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pope-francis-in-crowd.jpgpope francis in crowdA smiling Pope Francis greets his fellow believers in St. Peter's Square. It is said he hardly ever smiled before becoming Pope, and now he can't seem to help himself.2014-05-01T03:15:51+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/04/23/bettys-bradford-pears/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/bradford-pear-strauss-park-detail-21.jpgBradford Pear Strauss Park detail (2)Bradford Tree in full bloom shading Strauss Park, April 23, 2014https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/bradford-pear-strauss-park-detail-2.jpgBradford Pear Strauss Park detail (2)Bradford Pear tree shading Strauss Park on April 23, 20132014-04-24T07:49:49+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/04/16/pope-notes/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/imag0897.jpgThe Littlest Catholic ChurchNo longer used by the Roman Catholic church, but once the pride and joy of the Moylan sisters.2014-04-16T01:18:09+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/04/13/uncut-diamonds/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/494px-average_prokaryote_cell-_en-svg1.png494px-Average_prokaryote_cell-_en.svgCross section of a prohttps://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/rough_diamond.jpgRough_diamondNaturally occurring diamond crystal2014-04-15T01:56:45+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/04/14/yippee/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/daddy-pulling-wagon.jpgDaddy pulling wagonHank Wilson pulling us along (with my sister Miriam and me, Grayson, AL)2014-04-14T23:05:24+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/03/09/the-living-water-boson/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/higgs-field-two.pngHiggs field two2015-02-18T18:56:18+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/04/07/fractals/2014-04-07T02:40:13+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2013/12/19/a-christmas-verse/2014-03-10T16:45:13+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/02/25/wet-weathered-sunday/https://inpraiseofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/aaprint_net2-jpg.jpgaaprint_net(2)-jpg2014-03-10T16:38:32+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.com/2014/02/14/love-notes/2014-02-15T04:34:23+00:00monthlyhttps://inpraiseofangels.comdaily1.02025-10-26T16:06:11+00:00